Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)

The sequence below is from the opening credits of the documentary Woodstock. According to the liner notes from re-release of the band's eponymous debut album, the song played repeatedly during the buildup of the stage at the event and would set the tone for the following days. The song is otherworldly to me. The harmonies (those harmonies!), the guitar and - especially for me - the organ converge so seemlessly that you lose yourself in the music. One of my favorites.


Long Time Gone (1969)

AMG encapsulates the song, its genesis and its meaning:

This is one of David Crosby’s most direct, confrontational and politically motivated musical statements. Although penned in response to a specific incident — the assassination of Bobby Kennedy — the song’s call to arms message continues to resonate. While Crosby takes credit for writing the tune, he is also quick to add that it was Stephen Stillswho brought the track to life. As he had done throughout a majority of the Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) debut effort, Stills, ever the multi-instrumentalist, provides “Long Time Gone” with a remarkably solid bed of bass, organ and some scathing lead electric guitar, perfectly complementing the lyrical content. Meanwhile, the track’s cohesive ‘live’ band sound is augmented only by drummer Dallas Taylor and Crosby’s own strident rhythm guitar work.

The obvious disgust and resentment in Crosby’s vocal delivery has, if anything, grown more resolute in the subsequent decades as the message of questioning authority and the rights of the individual to be heard and acknowledged by their respective governments continued to be challenged. There are several notable concert recordings of “Long Time Gone” available. The song — especially when Neil Young was in the fold — became a tremendous showcase — as well as showdown — for the three electric guitar slingers Crosby, Stills and Young. The live version by the quartet can be heard on Four Way Street (1971), while an equally incendiary reading can be found by the core trio on No Nukes (1980). Plus, Crosby has also issued solo performances on It’s All Coming Back To Me Now … (1994) — featuring Nash on vocals — and with CPR on Live at the Wiltern (1999).
[Edited 7/11/09 9:49am]

Max Yasgur's farm

I love CSN De Ja Vu is one of my all time favorite albums on the Classic Rock side

IAintTheOne said:

Love that one, too! Watching the Blu-Ray of Woodstock, so I'm kinda hung up on this one right now. That Richie Havens opening is Love his voice.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Handsome Johnny I think some Cocker is due right now... Let's keep the 40th anniversary of Woodstock goin

Joe Cocker would not get a record deal these days. Sad but true.

RipHer2Shreds said:

Very nice tune.
One of my favorites on that album.

I've seemed to lean more toward the David Crosby tunes (written or co-written) on this record as the years go by.




...Guinnevere




...Wooden Ships



tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

these songs make me like hippies. at least the 60s hippies.

theAudience said:

My other favorite from this set. Similar sound to Long Time Gone